Polish exhibitors offering amber at the Inhorgenta trade fair noted a reduced interest in their products. Where do you think the reasons should be sought?
The first thing that immediately springs to mind is a lack of product awareness among consumers. I can't recall any promotional campaigns for amber being run in the German media in recent months. If the product isn't appearing anywhere, how is demand for it supposed to arise? What I mean by this is that you can't generate demand without a kind of lobbying for the given product or brand. And you can't create a situation where the customer is searching for a specific product, thereby forcing the seller to include it in their range. It seems to me that this may be – and probably is – the reason for the reduced interest in amber among German customers.
What are the best and proven methods of action?
First and foremost, it is necessary to work closely with the media, who will help create a trend for amber products, for example, as a summer theme, especially in all those places where the sea is associated with amber. It seems to me that this is precisely the direction to follow in order to improve the perception of amber and stimulate interest among consumers.
What media are best suited for this?
The target of these actions should be both the jewellery store and the end customer, so the appropriate media include both trade titles and glossy consumer magazines. It would probably be simplest to join forces in a group of several or a dozen or so producers who are keen to promote amber, for example, in the German market, and to approach media such as Gala, Vogue etc. Those that emphasise fashion issues and shape readers' tastes.
It is commonly believed that the German market is a brand market. Does it make sense to promote amber products that are not branded?
It's true, glossy consumer magazines do like to feature brands. However, in the case of amber, it's important to introduce the topic to the media at all. Magazines need not only brands, but also interesting topics. And here, amber can be excellently used as a truly unique stone with a rich history and interior containing inclusions, which furthermore fits into the trendy current of natural products. So it's only natural to „build around” it with various interesting stories so that it gains more traction in the minds of consumers. Just ask a hundred people about amber, and you'll find that perhaps 20-30 of them will only know that it's a yellow or brown stone, and the rest won't know anything. Its properties, origins, or qualities are unknown – of a hundred people asked, perhaps only one will know. It's difficult to sell a product that no one knows anything about. And if they do know something, they associate it with jewellery from grandma's jewellery box. When I look at the creations of Polish designers, I'm delighted with their creativity and the fact that such modern decorations can be conjured from amber. But what's the point when hardly anyone knows about it?
So it's not enough just to turn up at a trade fair and lay out your goods on the stand...
…you also need to prepare well for them and be visible. I know that there are a considerable number of Polish exhibitors with amber at Inhorgenta, but I must admit honestly that I have no idea which hall they are in. I didn't get there and learned nothing about their offer.
So what should they do to get noticed?
First and foremost, prepare for the trade fair comprehensively. This means, above all, offering a topic as attractive as amber to as many media outlets as possible. Companies that offer it must also be visible. And a comprehensive advertising campaign aimed at the end customer must be prepared. Of course, this involves significant costs, and companies themselves usually do not have the means to properly position their products. I don't know what the situation is in Poland regarding co-financing for producer groups for promotion in foreign markets, but looking at the example of Australia, it's clear that state support should encompass not only participation in trade fairs, but also marketing, advertising, and promotional activities. Because a trade fair stand alone is no longer sufficient. The main problem, in my opinion, is that amber does not exist in the minds of either end consumers or sellers.
I understand that other manufacturers exist in these heads as they advertise themselves?
Brands that are successful, yes. Just look at which companies are doing well in the market – those are the ones who promote themselves skilfully. And those who don't, aren't successful.
So one doesn't exist without the other?
No. Unless someone has such an exceptional product that everyone wants it. But that's unlikely to apply to amber; it's more likely to apply to brands like Thomas Sabo or Pandora.
Yes, but they invested a huge amount of money in promotion earlier.
Of course. Without that, market success won't be possible.
Prof. dr Stefan Hencke is the President of Convensis Group, a company engaged in management consulting, market and trend research, and marketing and communication in Germany and other countries.